The Svaneti journal

Learning to ski tour in Svaneti: my first week

Mestia · Svaneti · Georgia · Winter · 5 min read

By Tilen Fajon · English adaptation of the original Lifetrek account.

Learning to ski tour in a kingdom of snow and silence

Discovering Georgia on touring skis

Deep in the Caucasus, far from the bustle of busy resorts, lies Svaneti: a land of stone towers, powder snow and a silence that seems to belong to the mountains themselves. I came for a ski touring course that combined learning, exploring and a proper mountain adventure. Two days of tuition near the ski area, followed by four days putting those lessons into practice in the mountains. For someone ready to move beyond the pistes, it felt like the right way to begin.

The first steps

When I arrive in Mestia, the sky is clear and the views stop me in my tracks. Snow-covered Caucasus peaks rise on every side. Our guesthouse, tucked between old towers and high mountains, becomes home for the week. The family offers us tea, while our local instructor from the Lifetrek team welcomes us with a smile and checks that everyone has the necessary equipment: bindings, skins, avalanche transceiver, probe and shovel. “On a ski touring course, we learn with our feet, not sitting at a table,” he laughs. At that moment, I begin to feel that something special is ahead.

The next morning, I am standing on the snow at Hatsvali above Mestia. The air is cold, the snow creaks beneath my skis, and I feel a mixture of excitement and respect. We start with the basics: handling the equipment, putting skins on and taking them off, balance, and the transitions between climbing and skiing down. Everything happens to the rhythm of breathing and movement. The instructor corrects me as we go, encourages me and explains the small tricks that make each step easier. By the afternoon, we are making short climbs and practising our first descents. At the end of the day my legs are heavy, but I am happily tired. I am beginning to understand what ski touring feels like.

The second day: movement and decisions

On the second day, I feel more confident. My movements become smoother and the transitions quicker. We practise using less energy, working with our poles and making those famous kick turns, which require rather more coordination than I had imagined. Alongside the technique, we learn about decisions. Every route and every turn in the mountains has a consequence. Our instructor introduces snow observations and snow profiles, explains why different layers matter, and takes us through avalanche rescue practice.

By the end of the day, I understand that learning to ski tour is more than a technical exercise. It is also an exercise in thinking, concentration and keeping calm. The skills are beginning to make sense, although I know there is much more to learn.

Beyond the pistes

On the third day, we leave the groomed runs and step into a different world. Silence, snow, scattered trees and fox tracks in the powder. The sound of our skis becomes our companion. Partway up, we stop for another snow exercise, looking at the layers and discussing what they tell us. I begin to feel a deeper respect for the mountains and their unpredictability. At the ridge, a view opens that no photograph can quite hold. Surrounded by white snow and blue sky, the world seems completely still.

The descent is long and flowing. Adrenaline and calm somehow exist together. This is my first proper ski touring descent, and it settles into my memory as something almost sacred.

Finding the rhythm of the mountains

Over the following days, our group lives to the rhythm of climbing and descending. Every day brings something different: soft powder one day, a firmer crust the next; laughter at one moment, complete silence at another. Our mountain team keeps us on course, while we increasingly take part in the discussions about the terrain and conditions. I learn to look for the marks of the wind, notice snowdrifts and think about the route ahead. Slowly, I begin to understand the heart of ski touring. It is a sport, of course, but also a way of thinking, paying attention and listening to the natural world.

The final descent

On our last day, we wake to a perfect morning. The sky is clear, the snow dry and the air wonderfully sharp. We climb high above the valley to a ridge with a view across Svaneti. Beneath us are the tracks of earlier days: small lines in the snow that tell the story of our week. I ski my own line down the slope, following the route agreed with our team. The feeling is difficult to put into words. Later, when we sit together after dinner, words seem less necessary anyway. We all know that the week has given us more than a sporting experience. It has taught me patience, calm and trust: in myself, in the group and in the people leading us through the mountains.

Why Svaneti stayed with me

• The quiet: white peaks and open mountain landscapes, far from the noise of a busy resort.
• The chance to practise: lessons followed by mountain days in which the new skills begin to make sense.
• The local team: people who know the area and help us progress at a pace suited to the group and conditions.
• The life beyond the snow: shared meals, hospitality and the warmth of the people we meet.

My first week of ski touring in Svaneti was more than learning techniques and theory. It was a journey into a white landscape where tracks in the snow became a story of courage, respect and freedom. When I remember that final view from the ridge above Mestia, I know that somewhere between the sky and the snow I found something I will carry with me.

Taking your own first steps

If this story sounds familiar, our beginner ski touring camp in Georgia introduces touring skills to people who already ski on pistes. The programme page has the current itinerary, fixed departures, suitability information and land-only prices. If you already have touring experience, explore the classic ski touring week instead.

Photographs from Svaneti

Photographs: Lifetrek archive.

Adapted from the original Slovenian article on Lifetrek.si. The author’s personal experience is retained; wording and a few factual details have been edited for the English edition.